SC stays HC bail to Latif Siddique in graft case

The Supreme Court today stayed till November 17 a High Court order that granted bail to former textiles and jute minister Abdul Latif Siddique in a case against him on charge of misusing power in selling a government property.

The apex court passed the order following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking stay on the HC order.

Also read: Latif Siddique gets 6-month bail in graft case

A four-member bench of Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain also asked the ACC to file a leave to appeal petition with this court by November 17 challenging the HC order.

ACC’s lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told the Daily Star that Abdul Latif Siddique cannot get released from jail following the SC order.

Advocate Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury appeared for Abdul Latif Siddique.

On November 4, the High Court granted the six-month bail to Latif Siddique and also issued a rule asking the ACC and the government to explain why he should not be granted permanent bail in this case.

ACC Assistant Director Aminul Islam lodged the case with Adamdighi Police Station in Bogura on October 10, 2017. Jahanara Rashid, wife of late Harunur Rashid, was also made accused in the case.

According to the case statement, Jahanara Rashid leased a piece of land in Adamdighi upazila -- owned by Bangladesh Jute Corporation -- for three years at Tk 1.2 lakh per year on May 13, 2010.

In spite of getting repeated orders from the textiles and jute ministry to pay rent for the land, Jahanara applied to the ministry to purchase the land on November 13, 2011.

The then textiles and jute minister Latif Siddique, without floating any formal tender, sold the land to Jahanara at Tk 23.94 lakh although its market price was Tk 64.63 lakh.

Following the incident, the ACC filed the case against Latif and Jahanara under the Penal Code and section 5(2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 1947.

On June 20 this year, a Bogura court sent Latif Siddique to jail in the case, rejecting his bail petition.